This is done with the batting cut into three pieces and you quilt just the center first. Then you join the next piece of batting and quilt that portion. Eventually you have 100% of the quilt on you machine.

You would quilt 3 separate quilts to within 1/2 inch from where they are to be joined. After all the sections are quilted, you join them together and use a sashing strip to hide the seam on the back. Search Quilt as You Go for a block by block style or even Quilting in Sections and you should find examples of what it looks like. You only have the entire quilt on the machine when you are putting the sections together and of course putting the binding on.

Sharon Pederson & pair of ladies I forgot the names of did episodes on Simply Quilts years ago and I'm sure there are others. Check YouTube for videos.

I have quilted block by block which is very similar to the quilting in sections & it was very easy. I quilted each block and then used sashing front & back to put them together row by row. It was a lot of hand sewing on the back to finish but if you use a matching thread color, you could probably machine finish it easily enough. I was a new quilter at the time so I followed the directions I had seen.

You would quilt 3 separate quilts to within 1/2 inch from where they are to be joined. After all the sections are quilted, you join them together and use a sashing strip to hide the seam on the back. Search Quilt as You Go for a block by block style or even Quilting in Sections and you should find examples of what it looks like. You only have the entire quilt on the machine when you are putting the sections together and of course putting the binding on.

Sharon Pederson & pair of ladies I forgot the names of did episodes on Simply Quilts years ago and I'm sure there are others. Check YouTube for videos.

I have quilted block by block which is very similar to the quilting in sections & it was very easy. I quilted each block and then used sashing front & back to put them together row by row. It was a lot of hand sewing on the back to finish but if you use a matching thread color, you could probably machine finish it easily enough. I was a new quilter at the time so I followed the directions I had seen.

The method she is refering to is not the quilt as you go method. You make the full quilt and then do the batting in thirds. I'll search for the tute on it.

It is easier when you do the middle section. The last section is just as bulky. The key is having a really big work space. The method lessens the amount of quilt rolled up in the throat of your machine.

You would quilt 3 separate quilts to within 1/2 inch from where they are to be joined. After all the sections are quilted, you join them together and use a sashing strip to hide the seam on the back. Search Quilt as You Go for a block by block style or even Quilting in Sections and you should find examples of what it looks like. You only have the entire quilt on the machine when you are putting the sections together and of course putting the binding on.

Sharon Pederson & pair of ladies I forgot the names of did episodes on Simply Quilts years ago and I'm sure there are others. Check YouTube for videos.

I have quilted block by block which is very similar to the quilting in sections & it was very easy. I quilted each block and then used sashing front & back to put them together row by row. It was a lot of hand sewing on the back to finish but if you use a matching thread color, you could probably machine finish it easily enough. I was a new quilter at the time so I followed the directions I had seen.

The method she is refering to is not the quilt as you go method. You make the full quilt and then do the batting in thirds. I'll search for the tute on it.

It is easier when you do the middle section. The last section is just as bulky. The key is having a really big work space. The method lessens the amount of quilt rolled up in the throat of your machine.

I think that is the method I saw the pair of ladies doing on Simply Quilts. I was using a machine with a 6" harp at the time so that method wouldn't have worked very well. I have a larger machine now but I still prefer quilting in sections over adding the batting. I do agree that having your machine setup in the center of a long table & possibly even turning it like a longarm to do free motion quilting would help tremendously with any quilt larger than crib size and even crib size is a problem if you have arthritis in your neck or shoulders.

Check out this website for basting a quilt. I have several large quilts that I haven't finished because I can't get on the floor and do the conventional basting. I intend to try this as soon as I get my backing. Kathy

You can also split the quilt into 3 parts (without the division showing later) to make the bulk easier to handle. To do this, you layer the sandwich as usual, pin back a third of the top and backing fabric so it is out of the way, then cut the batting only in large S-shaped curves. Mark both sides of the cut so it is easy to reposition the two pieces later. (The curving cutting line helps with the repositioning later and also hides the join.) Pin the top to the backing fabric. Do the other side of the quilt the same. Machine quilt the middle section, leaving a good 4 inches or so free near the cut edges. When the middle is done, re-attach one side of the batting with hand tailor tacks (or some people do it with a long and wide machine zigzag) and re-position the top and backing over that section. Complete the machine quilting on that side. Repeat with the other side. Marti Michel has a book on how to do this, but I first saw this process described in detail in another book by another quilter (whose name escapes me at the moment).

You can also split the quilt into 3 parts (without the division showing later) to make the bulk easier to handle. To do this, you layer the sandwich as usual, pin back a third of the top and backing fabric so it is out of the way, then cut the batting only in large S-shaped curves. Mark both sides of the cut so it is easy to reposition the two pieces later. (The curving cutting line helps with the repositioning later and also hides the join.) Pin the top to the backing fabric. Do the other side of the quilt the same. Machine quilt the middle section, leaving a good 4 inches or so free near the cut edges. When the middle is done, re-attach one side of the batting with hand tailor tacks (or some people do it with a long and wide machine zigzag) and re-position the top and backing over that section. Complete the machine quilting on that side. Repeat with the other side. Marti Michel has a book on how to do this, but I first saw this process described in detail in another book by another quilter (whose name escapes me at the moment).

This is the method I was refering to but I couldn't find the tute on it!!1

You would quilt 3 separate quilts to within 1/2 inch from where they are to be joined. After all the sections are quilted, you join them together and use a sashing strip to hide the seam on the back. Search Quilt as You Go for a block by block style or even Quilting in Sections and you should find examples of what it looks like. You only have the entire quilt on the machine when you are putting the sections together and of course putting the binding on.

Sharon Pederson & pair of ladies I forgot the names of did episodes on Simply Quilts years ago and I'm sure there are others. Check YouTube for videos.

I have quilted block by block which is very similar to the quilting in sections & it was very easy. I quilted each block and then used sashing front & back to put them together row by row. It was a lot of hand sewing on the back to finish but if you use a matching thread color, you could probably machine finish it easily enough. I was a new quilter at the time so I followed the directions I had seen.

The method she is refering to is not the quilt as you go method. You make the full quilt and then do the batting in thirds. I'll search for the tute on it.

It is easier when you do the middle section. The last section is just as bulky. The key is having a really big work space. The method lessens the amount of quilt rolled up in the throat of your machine.

You are correct NP3, it's not the quilt as you go, it's the one your talking about.

You know what has me confused now, is how do you only sandwich the first strip down the centre with all the other fabric of the top and backing on each side?

You would quilt 3 separate quilts to within 1/2 inch from where they are to be joined. After all the sections are quilted, you join them together and use a sashing strip to hide the seam on the back. Search Quilt as You Go for a block by block style or even Quilting in Sections and you should find examples of what it looks like. You only have the entire quilt on the machine when you are putting the sections together and of course putting the binding on.

Sharon Pederson & pair of ladies I forgot the names of did episodes on Simply Quilts years ago and I'm sure there are others. Check YouTube for videos.

I have quilted block by block which is very similar to the quilting in sections & it was very easy. I quilted each block and then used sashing front & back to put them together row by row. It was a lot of hand sewing on the back to finish but if you use a matching thread color, you could probably machine finish it easily enough. I was a new quilter at the time so I followed the directions I had seen.

The method she is refering to is not the quilt as you go method. You make the full quilt and then do the batting in thirds. I'll search for the tute on it.

It is easier when you do the middle section. The last section is just as bulky. The key is having a really big work space. The method lessens the amount of quilt rolled up in the throat of your machine.

You are correct NP3, it's not the quilt as you go, it's the one your talking about.

You know what has me confused now, is how do you only sandwich the first strip down the centre with all the other fabric of the top and backing on each side?

You still roll the top and the backing up the way you would if the batting was inside. The advantage is that it is a smaller "piece" to manage. It doesn't get heavy and in your way.

You can also split the quilt into 3 parts (without the division showing later) to make the bulk easier to handle. To do this, you layer the sandwich as usual, pin back a third of the top and backing fabric so it is out of the way, then cut the batting only in large S-shaped curves. Mark both sides of the cut so it is easy to reposition the two pieces later. (The curving cutting line helps with the repositioning later and also hides the join.) Pin the top to the backing fabric. Do the other side of the quilt the same. Machine quilt the middle section, leaving a good 4 inches or so free near the cut edges. When the middle is done, re-attach one side of the batting with hand tailor tacks (or some people do it with a long and wide machine zigzag) and re-position the top and backing over that section. Complete the machine quilting on that side. Repeat with the other side. Marti Michel has a book on how to do this, but I first saw this process described in detail in another book by another quilter (whose name escapes me at the moment).

Thats the one thank you jlong, I really want to try it, but at the same time a little hesitant. I'm past crawling around on the floor, and my sewing space is not large enough to do 102x112 size. :-)

You still roll the top and the backing up the way you would if the batting was inside. The advantage is that it is a smaller "piece" to manage. It doesn't get heavy and in your way.

I get what you mean there, do you sandwich the whole batting first THEN cut it. I'm having trouble trying to explain my dilemma. When I sandwich a quilt I usually tape each corner of the backing then the same with the batting and top, so how do I go about doing just down the centre.........I expect thats all clear as mud ! .... sorry!!

You still roll the top and the backing up the way you would if the batting was inside. The advantage is that it is a smaller "piece" to manage. It doesn't get heavy and in your way.

I get what you mean there, do you sandwich the whole batting first THEN cut it. I'm having trouble trying to explain my dilemma. When I sandwich a quilt I usually tape each corner of the backing then the same with the batting and top, so how do I go about doing just down the centre.........I expect thats all clear as mud ! .... sorry!!

:D

I need to search for the tute on this, it would help you.

You have to make the sandwich so you know how big to cut it. And when you cut the pieces off, you need to make a note of which edges were cut from where. That will help you when you put them back together (butt them up and stich them by hand or zigzag, never overlapping.)

You want to pin it well through the center then roll the front and back out of the way and cut the batting. Be very careful not to cut the front or back!!!

Then when you do the sides, the center is stable because it is already quilted and you pin/baste the first side.

i have quilted several large quilts in 2 or 3 sections and they came out fine. was much easier to handle and not so frustrating trying to shove so much thru the machine opening.

Can you remember the name of the technique? I am having trouble finding it!!

no - didn't really follow any instructions - just did it - knew I couldn't do the quilting as a whole so had to improvise. left enuf on each edge so could join each section - then slip stitched batting together and then slip (hand stitched) backing together also did one where just put a sashing strip between each section it makes sense when you are doing it just hard to explain - i am more of a newbie so have had to figure out a lot myself - since I found this board it has really helped answer a lot of my questions tho

Could you be looking for "Machine Quilting in Sections" by Marti Michell?

No thats not it, thats where the whole quilt is done in sections - where talking about just the batting in 3 pieces, with the top and the backing folded back, then each piece of batting joined and then that section quilted.

I tried this method a couple weeks ago. It is a little easier, but there's still a lot of bulk even without the batting in that section. I used the spray basting, which I love, no problem, had labeled the right/left side of the batting, but had a little trouble lining up the cut edge to the corresponding edge. I haven't decided if I like that method, I have another big one to do, but will mark my design on it, instead of just FM. This was my first experience with this method, so it may get easier.